Hilltoppers rout Rams

Glenbard East had one of the area's top boys soccer teams last year, when Glenbard West struggled through the growing pains of a four-win season.

This year the cleat is on the other foot.

The Hilltoppers improved to 8-1 on the year with Saturday's 7-2 win over a Rams team that is rebuilding in Lombard. Glenbard West was led by a quick, cohesive attack and capped by a J.T. Wiebe hat trick.

"Our chemistry is 100 times better this year," Wiebe said. "The seniors on this team have been playing together for so long, and we worked hard over the summer."

The Hilltoppers led 3-0 by the game's 26th minute, twice capitalizing on long throw-ins from Brian Emanuel. Steve Lindquist scored on an Emanuel throw-in the 12th minute, and Wiebe did the same two minutes later.

"I made sure the back post was covered, and I was just there to finish it," said Wiebe, who has 11 goals on the year.

Geoff Oidtman took a Wiebe feed up the right side, took a few touches and fired for his fifth goal of the year, and the Hilltoppers continued to work the ball well through the midfield from there.

"They were countering us a lot through the middle, and putting a lot of pressure on our back four," said Rams coach Josh Adler. "And they had some speed, and we didn't deal well with it."

A Rams team short on varsity experience saw a ray of light just before halftime when the Hilltoppers committed an own-goal on a throw-in. The goal lit a fire under Glenbard East (0-4-2), which pressured well to the halftime buzzer.

"But you have to try to dictate the flow and tempo of the game from the opening. You can't let it be a goal that dictates your energy," Adler said.

Four minutes into the second half, Glenbard West went up 4-1 when Kyle Donegan headed a ball down that Wiebe touched into net at the goal line. The Rams answered with a Joe Chapa head shot goal.

The Hilltoppers attacked well from there, getting goals from Donegan, Wiebe, and Francisco Carena to run away with the contest.

"We're finishing where we didn't finish last year," said Hilltoppers coach John Gosling. "And the mistakes we made that hurt us last year, we're not making."

"I think last year we thought we were better than we were," said Hilltoppers goalkeeper Lee Mathieu. "We went into it too cocky. This year we know that no matter what team we play, we could lose. We're not underestimating anybody."